"Love the conversation" is Tony Karrer’s closing sentence in a recent discussion on his post, Reduce Searching Start Talking.The poet in me reads his words as having latent yet brilliant dichotomy. I couldn’t help but be entertained by this, for the post and its associated discussion are precisely about the practical usefulness of information, brought about through conversation, rather than by a search on an information database.Conversation can apply to discourse on a blog, chat-room, phone or face-to-face. I explore parts of that conversation here. Tony reviews the opinion of Martine Haas. She maintains that following a knowledge sharing philosophy, using document databases within an organisation, will not necessarily bring about desired success. Key and pertinent points that Tony brings forward are:using personal advice from experienced colleagues can improve work qualityappropriately matching the type of knowledge used to the requirements of the task at hand is critical to improved performance of projectsThe question is how to apply these axioms effectively and efficiently.Experienced colleaguesWhen it comes to using the experience of people within an organisation, there’s often a pecking order or hierarchy. The hierarchy does not necessarily relate to a gradation of useful experience, so a careful inspection is required to avoid selection according to invalid or wrong assumptions. All of this relates to people and how they communicate. I put forward a selection of questions relevant to this:Who decides who within an organisation has the most useful experience when it comes to learning from that?What criteria are used in this decision making?How is personality, as a factor used by decision makers, considered against experience and worth of opinion when selecting experienced colleagues, presumably from within, rather than from outside, the organisation?(a) How is useful advice that is collected from experienced colleagues translated into workable information?(b) What ensures that variation from original advice doesn’t occur through invalid interpretation or other infidelity?Inherent in the questions 4 (a) and (b) in the above list is the need to ensure relevance and significance of gathered information isn’t dulled or diffused by editing or judicious culling through intensions unrelated to the intent behind the first gathering of information. The writing of a summary report from transcripts and the like, perhaps edited by a third party, is one area where such diffusion can occur unwittingly.Often within organisations, either in association with government or where there is strong policy or procedural strategies in existence, there are political factors that are brought into play. Depending on how these are taken into consideration, such features can adversely influence an otherwise appropriate decision or choice. These situations are often encountered when authorities are involved, and policy is enacted, perhaps incongruously, without due thought given to implications relevant to the issue being examined.Matching the knowledge transfer processHelping people to learn to use the most effective means of knowledge transfer is the challenge that Maria put forward on Tony’s post. I agree that this must be where it’s at on all levels in an organisation.The question here is where to start. It is likely too complex for a practical guiding taxonomy to be drawn up and be of any use. Drafting a program to teach adults to use the right means of knowledge transfer is probably at least as difficult as teaching children to be discerning about information accessible on the Internet. There are no hard and fast rules for this. Yet there is no doubt that discernment forms a large part of selecting efficient and effective means for knowledge transfer.Not only is careful analysis of the type of knowledge required, but its reason for use and the possible methods for its eventual dissemination have all to be considered when making a selection.I recall visiting a demonstration in the late 80s on the use of Phoenix, an authoring tool for creating computer assisted instruction. At the time, my interest was to use the technology for developing a course on how to use a database. The example given as a paradigm was instruction on how to dig ditches.ConversationAppropriate information gleaned from conversation, rather than sifting for the data in a document database, will yield results that are more likely to lead to success. In conversation Tony posed the question, when should the transition from written to conversation occur? In my response, I chose an example of when this decision making is done by a student:Often the switch time should come earlier than it is made. A typical example of this is when a student phones me up about a difficulty. Usually they have been grappling with it for some time, maybe looked on the Internet, read the book etc, and then they resort to taking the initiative to phone.BUT, in describing what the problem is over the phone, it's not unusual for the student to find their own solution. By verbalising what's problematic, it somehow enables the mind to see the solution. What the student should have done, of course, is to phone me earlier.This is another aspect of conversation that's often overlooked - that of translating thought, so that the idea becomes more apparent and hence giving more opportunity for the talker to understand.Formal discussionIf time is at a premium, meetings scheduled for discussion tend to be rushed. Contributors tend to do their thinking during the discussion rather than before. Personalities can dominate procedure and theme, and an unwritten agenda of consensus can preclude useful debate.In challenged discussion of this type, important issues may be overlooked for there is often insufficient time for due consideration and real thinking to be done. The concern is to ensure contributors have done sufficient thinking on the salient issues before the meeting.Digital discussionAt first look, a wiki or other such discussion forum over time could provide the opportunity for points to be raised for further thought. But it is well known that participation in discussion of this type tends to be limited to a small minority within a group. That’s not to say that others do not read, think and further consider the issues that are tabled, but there is no unequivocal way of checking this. I now understand Tony’s earlier pursuit of mandatory participation in digital discussion.But given that such a system could operate, there are a number of important guidelines that should be followed by the person who calls the meeting. Since an understanding of what the key issues may be is paramount to the possible and eventual success of the process, it is clear this person also has to be one who has a major leadership role relevant to the process.Type of discussionAt a recent meeting I attended, teachers were invited for their input on an introductory diagram to be drafted, designed and eventually used in teaching part of Curriculum Level 3 - 4 Science. It was specifically for learners new to the concept. Unfortunately much of what was brought along were ideas on many and related cycles interlinked with but not directly relevant to the proposed diagram that was to be designed.The meeting became a free for all. Some teachers became exasperated at its diffuseness. Eventually, refinements had to be made to a draft diagram through a series of to and fro emails over a number of days.A clear understanding of the purpose of a discussion should be owned by each invited participant. Discussion parameters should be made evident to all parties before it begins. This not only saves time, but also prevents digression from the original intent.The type of discussion expected should also be known and understood by all participants. If it is to be a face-to-face brainstorm, for instance, the contributors should also be fully versed in format and expectation. This will mean defining guidelines before the meeting, such as:no put down - anything goes - short sharp suggested ideas no discussion - all ideas are recorded - maximum time for meeting 30 minutes.Ambiguity wastes timeSo often the issue to be discussed is only vaguely outlined and perhaps hurriedly in an agenda. Ambiguity contributes to vagueness.There is nothing more likely to waste valuable time than participants arriving at the venue with the wrong the agenda in mind. If the meeting is called to decide on a particular direction or course of action from a number of possible options, relevant information should be circulated about all the options to all participants before the meeting.But these ideas aren’t new and they're not rocket science. They’re simply good communication practice for calling meetings. While the conversation at a meeting may be criticised, its planning may well be at fault from the start.Ownership How well participants are committed to the cause within an issue brought forward in discussion is a moveable feast. All I can offer here is a message about ownership.It’s not just a case of announcing the title of the topic at issue and distributing invitations. For participants to enter willingly and wholeheartedly into discussion on a topic, they must first have a sense of ownership. Their vested interest is fostered by offering opportunity to enter into cognitive discourse - they need time and occasion to think about it. That time well spent brings ownership to the participants of any conversation.( 2 ) << - related post

This article was first published on Futurelab in February 2008. I've reproduced the text of the article here. Some links to resources are now no longer current."Challenge is a dragon with a gift in its mouth -tame the dragon and the gift is yours."- Noela EvansA new kid on the blockThe webcam[1] has enjoyed a prosperous career, from its early commercial adoption in the adult industry, through its use in personal video-conferencing, to more recent applications in monitoring traffic, examining air quality[2], as weather-cams, aquarium-cams, zoo-cams, volcano-cams[3] and a plethora of other location-cams[4].Despite its popularity and speedy development many educators still regard it as a new kid on the block and there is surprisingly little published on its specific operation as a pedagogical tool; this article summarises information currently available relevant to this purpose.Why use a webcam?The idea of teaching online classes and using a webcam for this purpose[5] with specific communications software such as Skype[6] has been around for a few years. Enthusiasm among instructors has initiated the need for training in the use of this technology within a range of pedagogically related applications[7] but only basic information[8], simple tips[9] and useful hints in the operation of the webcam[10] can be found on a few practical Internet sites.Some tertiary institutes such as CTL Regent University have incorporated the webcam in a variety of teaching and learning activities[n/a11], Spanish language tuition has enjoyed the use of this technology with notable success[12] and the value of the webcam in learning the technique of taking cuttings from a woody plant in horticulture has been identified[13]. The use of the webcam as a teaching and learning tool is gradually becoming more popular at all education levels.A recent Becta article[14] on improving learning through technology reports that "webcams can offer teachers effective ways of using ICT across the curriculum that can engage pupils with technology in an interactive way. They can allow pupils to see real-time events, bring far-off places to life, and can inspire curiosity and imagination. Webcams can also be used for video-conferencing, assisting collaboration between schools, perhaps in different locations in a country or between countries, on a joint project."E-learning applicationsThough there is not a significant amount of quantitative research available at present, the anecdotal evidence suggests that use of the webcam in specific areas can make an important contribution to the portfolio of applied e-learning technologies.The Digital Geography site[15] offers different examples of webcam application, for instance, one where a Year 7 student uses it to explain how she created her model river[16], and another where a whole Year 7 class works collaboratively to make an environmental movie[17] using Windows Movie Maker[18] to edit the takes and a webcam-wall[19] using PowerPoint.The Center For Innovation In Engineering And Science Education (CIESE) provides lessons in weather forecasting[20] where remote webcams accessed on the Internet give students prompt confirmation of their assigned predictions. Many Internet-based tuition services are now using the technology as a direct means of providing lessons in a variety of topics, including those that present live access to a zoo[21], offer live music lessons[22] and facilitate the required animation for specific lessons in biology[23].The potential for the fruitful application of webcams is evident in teaching art, technology and other areas of learning that have a central practical component. Student research on difficult topics such as environmental issues can be made easier through access to the many location webcams available on the Internet.Problems and risksBecta[14] elaborates on some of the threats related to webcam use, outlining that "one of the greatest risks associated with streaming webcams is one-to-one chat, typically as an extension to chatrooms. While it’s extremely unlikely that pupils will use webcams for chatting in an educational setting unless for organised video-conferencing sessions, it is possible that they may use them outside of school and so should be alerted to the dangers."Computer virus infection such as that caused by a so-called ‘trojan’ can also present problems that are minimised by installing good anti-virus software.Ric Jensen of Northwestern State University found that the use of a webcam could enhance learning and had real benefit that allowed distance education students to put a face on the instructor, though there were difficulties of access due to low-bandwidth issues[24].Privacy issues and acceptable use policiesEstablishing a safe ICT learning environment is of paramount importance. The people at Becta have identified and elaborated on three generic components[25] that are recommended to ensure this is maintained:an infrastructure of whole-school awareness, designated responsibilities, policies and proceduresan effective range of technological toolsa comprehensive Internet safety education programme for the whole school community.Special care should always be taken where webcams are in use as with the supervision over the dissemination of images from that technology. Becta has published an excellent comprehensive document[26] entitled ‘E-safety - Developing whole-school policies to support effective practice’, some of which relates directly to the use of the webcam.References (some links are no longer current)1. http://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Web_cam2. http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.webcams3. http://www.geonet.org.nz/volcano/volcams.html4. http://www.earthcam.com/5. http://www.degreetutor.com/library/adult-continued-education/online-learning-software6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype7. http://frontpage.montclair.edu/mmagic/Multimedia_Magic_I.htm8. http://computer.howstuffworks.com/webcam.htm9. http://webcast.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=4936610. http://www.mddacommunicate.com/hints.html11. now not available - http://www.regent.edu/admin/ctl/resources/training/webcam/webcam.pdf12. http://www.instituto-exclusivo.com/13. The Correspondence School, NZ, Claire Neiman (private communication, May 24, 2007)14. http://schools.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=lv&catcode=ss_lv_com_02&rid=1490915. http://www.digitalgeography.co.uk/16. http://www.digitalgeography.co.uk/archives/2006/11/more-web-cam-moments/17. http://www.digitalgeography.co.uk/archives/2006/10/web-cam-movies/18. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Movie_Maker19. http://pilotgcseradicalgeography.co.uk/2007/04/02/web-cam-wall/20. http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/weatherproj2/en/lessonenr1.shtml21. http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=23422. http://www.flutepianoguitar.com/web_cam_lessons.html23. http://www.educationtechnologies.com/modules/bfly1/default.htm24. http://www.etsca.com/tscjonline/1206-blackboard/25. http://schools.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=is&catcode=ss_to_es_pp_aup_03&rid=1108726. http://publications.becta.org.uk/download.cfm?resID=25934

Māui and his brothers taming the sun - The Marae, Te Papa Museum of New ZealandMāori tradition is steeped in folklore. It is a culture I have much respect for and I see strong similarities with the Celtic traditions in Scotland, the land of my birth. I’d like to share with you some of the aspects of Māori culture and folklore that are significant to me.The section I belong to at The Correspondence School (TCS) is called Poutama. We chose this name when restructuring began, with the regionalisation of TCS early last year. I feel privileged to belong to a wonderful section of teachers in Poutama. I’m very proud of our name which comes from the name for an ancient Māori wall design.PoutamaThe Poutama design is a type of tukutuku, a traditional Māori art form. They form part of visual storytelling in Māori culture.Tukutuku are decorative woven or carved panels that are part of the traditional wall construction used inside Māori meeting houses.In ancient lore, poutama symbolises an ascent made by the folk hero Tawhaki (pronounced tafaki) to receive the three baskets (kete) of knowledge from the gods.They are:te kete-aronui - basket of knowledge that helps us,te kete-tuauri - basket of knowledge to do with ritual, memory and prayer,te kete-tuatea - basket of knowledge of evil or makutu, harmful to us.The interpretation of the word poutama is one who protects and supports his family sub-tribe and tribe, as in a chief or rangatira.The construction of poutama symbolises the steps to progress in education and the endeavour to improve - the planning of a child's future - by parents, family and tribe. It is believed to be the ultimate mark of a leader.The legends of MāuiI have always had a fascination for folk legends. Most Māori legends possess a strong principled or educational aspect. Perhaps this is why I found the legends in Māori folklore particularly absorbing.Among some of the most attractive are the tales about the Māori half-god, Māui, who was abandoned at birth and later reunited with his family. Māui is depicted with his four brothers in the photo at the head of this post.Here is how I tell the legend of Māui, how he was eventually reunited with his mother and family, and given his name.Māui-tikitiki-a-TarangaMāui wrapped in the topknot of TarangaLittle Māui, baby Māui,Wrapped all in the tikitiki,Sleeping on the white wet sand.Swept the wind up on the beaches,Swept the ripples, swept the tide-spray,Hair and seaweed tied the bundle,Lightly tied the bundle neatly.Swathed in seaweed, bathed in sea-spray,Lifted by the tide-wave gently,Buoyed up on the foamy bubbles,On he slept as waves were bobbing,Poor unwanted baby Māui,Bobbing out to sea.Still he slept, the little Māui,As the cruel and hungry sea-birdsWatched the bundle gently rocking,Rocking on the sea.Then the kindly sky-god RangiSaw the hungry sea-birds hover,Hover near the baby Māui,Bobbing out to sea.Swiftly Rangi hailed the mountains,Mountains with their white hair gathered,Gathering the white hair rolling,Rolling out to sea.Swift they lifted little Māui,Lifted on the plumes of white hair,Hair twined with the tikitikiHigh above the sea.There the kindly Rangi raised him,Taught him all his wondrous magic,Set him on the rolling white sand,Wet sand where Taranga left him.Then the old man Tama met him,Took him as his son, his own son,Told him of his four fine brothers,Told him of their mother's homeland.Showed him all he knew as nature,Where the streams run fast and steeply,How the bees hive, how they gather,How the birds dive, how they hover,Where the fish swim fast and fleetly,All that he had known.Then the youthful Māui learning of the homeland,Yearning for the brothers living with their mother dear,Left the old man Tama by the rolling white sand,Crossed the western hills to the wooded plain so near.Lightly fell the footstep quieter than the silence,Slipping like a shadow through the shady underwood,Entering the whare in the family's presence,Past the smoking fire to where the pitiless mother stood.Presently Taranga called on all her young ones,Called on them to join her around the smoking fire,Counting as they joined hands, counting she had five sons,Four sons and a strange one dressed in strange attire.Holding near a fire-brand to the littlest brotherTaranga leaned forward and asked from where he came,Māui said 'I'm Māui, and you are my own mother','These four are my brothers and Taranga's your name'.Little Māui told them what old Tama told himOf the baby Māui laid asleep upon the sand:Shrouded in the seaweed, chilly crown and cold limb,Rescue, and the sea-birds, and kindly Rangi's hand.Māui named his brothers and told them all their secrets,'You are our little Māui!' cried Taranga,Clasped him to her breast as her hair hung round in ringlets,Named him little Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga.Many other Māori legends can be found on the Māori in Oz site.This April is National Poetry month in the US.I have been hopping across to Bud the Teacher and attempting to invoke the muse. It is a wonderful site and Bud is prompting us to write some poetry every day this month.If you are poetically inclined and would like to write a line or three,I encourage you to nip across to Bud’s site. Go on. Give opportunity to your muse.

Aaaaaaah! I’ve just deleted the Recycle Bin from my Desktop!My PC runs Vista. Unlike other versions of Windows, Vista has a pull-down list on the Recycle Bin with a Delete option as well as the Empty Recycle Bin option. If Delete is chosen, the Recycle Bin isn’t emptied - it is removed from the Desktop!Fortunately, the Recycle Bin is not actually deleted, but the path to restoring it, although easy to follow, is not easy to find. The first time I deleted it was traumatic but I found a tip on Google. There are millions onthe Vista Recycle Bin!It was only when it happened again that I realised that I hadn’t followed the advice I give to my students and colleagues on learning and practice. So the second time I had to do the Google search I made a careful mental note of the steps needed, and also to come back and check I could still remember them before I logged off.I was reminded of this helpful idea when I read Tracy Hamilton’s recent post, Laughing at my own memory lost - Use it or Lose it. I also recalled the related comment I left on Tony Karrer's Tool Set 2009.See > Note > Act > Practice (SNAP)Teachers today require a high level of ICT competency, in addition to their understanding of subject knowledge, pedagogy and teaching practice. But the 21st Century teacher doesn’t need much more in the way of basic ICT skills than a late 20th Century teacher did. Certainly keeping up with the latest ICT developments and updates is a part, but then, isn’t that always the case in ICT?The need is for a clear pathway for the learner to apply the learning once delivered, by whatever means - conversation, professional development program, whether on-the-job or in a formal training class.Cognitive apprenticeshipIt is embraced in the so-called cognitive apprentice theory that experts in a skill often don’t consider hidden processes involved in carrying out complex skills when they are teaching/instructing newcomers.Situated professional development programs can be used to make this happen, instead of defining a prescription for particular technology competencies that learners must have and be able to use.Often, learners have difficulty learning raw content. They may not be able to see exactly how raw know-how can be applied as it may have no relevance to them at the time and so they don't learn and remember.Situated learning that grounds learning experiences in the learner’s own practice may well be more successful and a situated professional development technology program can serve the needs of the learners’ specific technology within their own learning environment.But learners can do a lot of this for themselves.Practice and metacognitionWhatever skill/knowledge/concept the learner has first learnt should be practiced soon as - the same day. This means that any training that is given should take into account the opportunity the learner may have to practice the same day and try out their newly acquired skill.Mini projects that can be used by the learner after learning sessions always helps with this. This also applies to an on-the-job conversation where the learner picks up a tip or piece of advice that may well be useful to them in the future.Learning to write little reminders when first shown something and then to practice it immediately afterwards is paramount to putting what's learnt into use and maintaining it. It is in the category of what’s called metacognition.The mantra is learn and practice soon as.As well, last thing on a Friday is a no-no for training/learning simply because of this whole principle of practice soon as. You can say ta-ta to what you're shown last thing on a Friday by the time Monday arrives. You rarely consolidate what you’ve learnt over the weekend!When a helpful IT technician comes to show me how to do something on my PC on a Friday, I always say, "Can you show me on Monday? I’ll send you an email - I'll come round and you can show me then."Then I send the email AND cc it to myself.I recall some years ago getting computer training on the last days of the year! Forget it! I may as well have! Three tiers of technology competencyAcquiring technology competency has at least three components to it. They are to do with concept (c), training (t) and practice (p). Take knowing where to find the ‘attach and email’ function for instance.The know-how to use the ‘attach and email’ function in Word 2007 comes with a bit of t & p and the end result is swifter and less cumbersome than other methods. But the ‘concept’ that a newly created Word document can be attached immediately to an email, and that the email application is invoked automatically while this process is being brought into effect is more than mere t & p.The learner who has never met this idea is very unlikely to think of looking for the function on any new version of a computer application in order to use it. Thankfully in most instances the c comes with t & p but not always.It’s not all just learning how to. My feeling is that there are at least 3 tiers of competency in any set of related skills:concept - such as Send to Mail Recipient as Attachment (just get your head round the c idea)knowledge that a function exists on the application/program used (t but also needs c), knowing how to use it on a specific app/program (c and t & p).You'll notice that practice always comes last but is no less important.Remember the mantra? Learn and practice soon as (SNAP!)

Bud the Teacher made a deal, it being National Poetry month in US.He has run a series of prompts on his blog this month, encouraging me, among others, to write a verse a day. I don’t normally splash the verse I write all over a post. But then the ‘word’ is one of my interests.It being the year of astronomy, here are all the bits of verse that Bud coaxed out of me so far that have a particular cosmic element to them, and a few that are of themes closer to home:In less time than it takes to say the wordA whole universe came into being.One, two, threewrote Gamow,or more exactGamov,from big bangto tomorrow,atomic factwas offbeyond thevicinityof Gamov’sinfinity.What it is to feelsoft sand under foot,waves lapping at ankle,warm sun on back.Where else in the universeis there rich pleasure as this?"It’s been a long time since Cataclysm.They said in the beginning it might bequite a journey. And so we are all herein one form or another. No one knewit would be so simple to start it off.Even Fermi didn’t, though more than mosthe had the insight. ‘So where are they all?’was what he put to them, knowing full well!Fermi? He’s over by the supernova.Can’t get him away from it. Addictedthey say - he always was fanatical.Apparently he was among the firstto congratulate Hawking when he got here.Hawking knew all along of course. It wasonly a matter of time. And beforehe let it all out it was far too late.""Another crumpled Golden Kiwi ticket!Jackpot’s 9.5 million this week.Chance would be a fine thing.""Now that’s what I call lucky.There’s a car with registration 319WXG!What's the chance of seeing that?""Talk about flukes.Looked up at the sky last night.Saw two satellites crossing within,well, millimetres.""Just think.Of all the galaxies in the cosmos,by sheer coincidence,we happen to be right here.""You and I.""Better get another Golden Kiwi ticket."In the arid heat there’s nothing so dearas water to a parchment tongue.Nothing so peaceful in a cool eveningthan the rippling lake in summer.What is it about crystal clear waterThat turns a tired mind from dull task?Through the ages we got bywith a few basic tools,fewer that even a child might use,and for the same purpose:a scrap of paper -a bundle of crayons;once shown how to use themcreativity needs no prompt.Of cleanliness,they got it right,the marine tropicals.I meanthe little fishlike Nemo,in finding the same.They just can’t hack the filth.Enterprising aquarists,to their cost,found that out.Yes, it’s to be pristine,that’s the word,like the clear crystalwaterthey thrive in.You can tellas you lookthrough theblue waterit’s clearthe fish arein their element."Can I have a scissor please?""A what?""A scissor.""We only sell them in pairs.""I’ll have two scissors please."

"The web is becoming a giant programmable computer,and that means that people can now collaborate." - Don TapscottIn the year 2000, I was scouring the web for engaging sites to help me teach my online Science students, when I happened to get a hit onThe Periodic Table of Comic Books. This award winning site is a 20th century mashup.It involves a close collaboration between the celebrated content sitting on the site at Web Elements in collaboration with the Chemistry Department of the University of Sheffield, UK, and a splendid 60s style comic book periodic table on the site at the Chemistry Department of the University of Kentucky. This amazing resource has not only engaging colour comic strips but also provides a full complement of data on each of the elements of the periodic table.A giant programmable computer When I listened to Don Tapscott’s lines about the web becoming a giant programmable computer in one of his recent video interviews,I was reminded of Fred Brown’s famous Sci Fi short story, Answer.The web is changing "the way that we innovate, the way that we orchestrate capability to create goods and services in society". It is "changing the deep structure and architecture of the corporation" and this is likely to bring about "profound changes to every institution in society".I wondered if it would just be people who would collaborate though. Clearly, there is scope for much, where computational collaboration, far more than is already taking place, could become common.Compelling styleTapscott’s visionary manner is compelling. He comes across as a plausible sage. While I have no doubt about his observational skill and his business acumen, I wonder at the implied imbalance and the scale of some of his predicted web transformations.He speaks of web changes, with most of his forecasts suggesting absolute transformations. "Social networking is becoming social production. This is no longer about hooking up online or creating a gardening community and putting videos on YouTube." His tone suggests that these will become things of the past - they will simply not happen anymore. He similarly describes it "changing from being a platform for the presentation of content to becoming a platform for computation". I doubt the totality of the web transformations that the pitch of Tapscott’s delivery suggests. There is plenty of space and scope for the web to be "a global platform for collaboration" as well as all the other uses it is likely to be put to and that will include cloud computing and all its developments. As long as humankind is confined to this earth, the capacity of the web to accommodate all of this and more is the nearest we’re ever likely to see of an infinite network.Clearly there are transformations occurring in the nature of the web, and there always will be. While many of the new avenues that he describes are conceivable, I am sceptical of the exclusive nature of the things the web is supposed to become, according to Tapscott.Ideas ProjectDwan Ev ceremoniously soldered the final connection with gold. The eyes of a dozen television cameras watched him and the subether bore throughout the universe a dozen pictures of what he was doing.He straightened and nodded to Dwar Reyn, then moved to a position beside the switch that would complete the contact when he threw it. The switch that would connect, all at once, all of the monster computing machines of all the populated planets in the universe -- ninety-six billion planets -- into the supercircuit that would connect them all into one supercalculator, one cybernetics machine that would combine all the knowledge of all the galaxies.Dwar Reyn spoke briefly to the watching and listening trillions. Then after a moment's silence he said, "Now, Dwar Ev."Dwar Ev threw the switch. There was a mighty hum, the surge of power from ninety-six billion planets. Lights flashed and quieted along the miles-long panel.Dwar Ev stepped back and drew a deep breath. "The honor of asking the first question is yours, Dwar Reyn.""Thank you," said Dwar Reyn. "It shall be a question which no single cybernetics machine has been able to answer."He turned to face the machine. "Is there a God?"The mighty voice answered without hesitation, without the clicking of a single relay."Yes, now there is a God."Sudden fear flashed on the face of Dwar Ev. He leaped to grab the switch.A bolt of lightning from the cloudless sky struck him down and fused the switch shut.Fredric Brown - 1954, Answer

This is my final post for April and is one of a series on collective effects.It completes a year of blogging that began in May 2008. Like many posts I’ve put here, the main text is inspired by another blogger, in this case Tom Haskins. It is essentially a comment in response to his post, According To Design Dictates.I recommend that you check out his blog for it is indeed inspiring.This is what I call a comment-post. It is a comment that’s long enough to be a substantive post. Tom recognised this. He published it as a post a day after I’d left it as a comment on his blog. Today I return the words to Middle-earth.For a long time (and it continues) humankind has followed dictates.Oh yes, the form of the dictates has changed over the millennia, but never-the-less the dictates have called the shots.Some last for a few years, some last for decades, some live out centuries before the dictates are overturned by some sort of knee-jerk reaction by (human) society. I think that it's in our dna.You have recognised a feature of the effect of dictates. It's not particularly exciting. It simply dictates the status quo.How often has society waited for that wonderful moment when religion or science or political inertia is about to announce a revelation that brings hope into the arena, only to find that the wait was a waste of time, and energy in hoping?Our dnaSomehow our dna prohibits humankind from behaving intelligentlyen masse. The collective intelligence we hear and read about never puts on its thinking cap when it's really needed.Yet it can move swiftly and deftly as a shoal of fish in following fashion and things seemingly trivial compared to the perceived real need for shifts in society. We've only to look at political choice of a nation.I'm not talking about the present moves in elections. Politics has shifted under the influence of dictates for centuries like a pendulum.Harmonic motionAs agile as it moves, the pendulum has its own inertia, never finding the balance, never resting in equilibrium. Never learning from its own mistakes. Yet at its centre is a need to solve a problem of sorts.It is (in fact) like a collective non-intelligence. It's the case in point where the whole is NOT greater than the sum of its parts. Far from it.History gives a fine reflection of how it works. They say we never learn from history. That saying has been around long enough. Yet we still don't. We have never learnt to learn from what we see as a blatant lesson for society.Unlike brainsNo. Humankind doesn't think like brains do. How silly to think that the collective motion of millions of intelligences is not intelligent - as we perceive it. Not like bees. A bee seems to have a residual intelligence. But the swarm seems to have a mind of its own.Maybe it's just the way individuals think. Maybe, in fact, the real intelligent way to move is how humankind moves and has been moving for centuries - despite the intelligent opinion of individuals on how it SHOULD move.So dictates may form a major part of that. Who knows? Perhaps the dictates should be revered more than they are.related posts - >> ( 3 ) ( 2 ) ( 1 )

section from the Ranginui Door, Te Papa Museum, WellingtonTell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember;involve me and I'll understand. - Chinese proverbThere have been a few recent posts on an artefact known as the Learning Object - in particular, two by Karl Kapp, Library of Learning Objects and Learning Object Interview.They gave me confidence that what I'd learnt and worked with for the past ten years was not entirely forgotten by others in the field.The Reusable Learning Object (RLO) or (learning object) was born out of pedagogy, imagination and the technology of the 20th century. It soared almost triumphantly into the 21st century, only to run out of airspeed, stall and nosedive to almost virtual oblivion.True to the original intensions of its inventors, the RLO has been metaphorically dismantled and rebuilt in different forms. Many of these revamped objects were renamed ‘learning object’.Others were satisfied to bear the term ‘learning resource’ or other such derivative, such as ‘digital learning resource’, for fear of being associated in some way with the crashed and, as some would have it, disgraced Learning Object. All this happened a few years before I wrote this article, first published on Futurelab in April 2008. The article was given a favourable review by Stephen Downes. The review, article and its host site were severely criticised, I believe unfairly, by a postmodernist who really didn’t appreciate what the article was attempting to offer. Here is the text, for those who may be interested to read the history and development of the digital learning resource. Some links to resources are now no longer current.Links to sectionsWhat is an RLO?Classification of learning objects and I D theoryWhat is contained in the RLO?GranularityMetadata, storage and retrievalLearning objects should be practicalImmediacy, interactivity, learning and engagementDesign, development and quality maintenanceChecking out the futureReferencesWhat is an RLO?Have you ever learned how to activate a setting on a mobile phone by studying one of its animated tutorials? Did you at one time make use of online instruction to learn to touch-type or increase your typing speed? Perhaps you were once privileged to operate the controls of a flight simulator as part of the training to become an aircraft pilot. If your answer to any of those is yes then you have benefited from using a learning object.The learning objects referred to here, and others like them, owe much of their success to one common aspect of their design: feedback that is relevant to the immediate circumstance of the learner - the hallmark of a good learning object. This discussion paper is about the learning object, its design, development and appropriate use as one of the many components in the portfolio of applied e-learning tools and strategies available to the 21st century teacher[1].Early last century simple mechanical devices were invented to help with learning. The 1960s saw computers assist with traditional learning methods such as face-to-face language instruction. A sophisticated blend of technology and pedagogy was developed for this - computer assisted language learning or CALL[2] - that is still in use today.In the late 1970s it was recognised that digital learning devices could be precision designed to afford specific and objective learning in many areas within a huge range of educational topics. Provided the fabric of their construction was carefully designed, such devices could be accessed almost anywhere at any time and on a variety of electronic media.A device fitting some or all of these descriptors is broadly termed a digital learning object. It came into its own with the advent of the internet in 1992. Use of the fundamental principles behind learning objects has been raised to a level of maturity through the work of organisations such as MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching)[3], a free and open resource involving a large online community in the development of learning objects for higher education hosted by the California State University System.return to topClassification of learning objects & ID theoryThe question of what a learning object should consist of has been a matter of considerable discussion over the years and there are various prescriptions for this[4]. A learning object can be described simply as any digital resource that can be used to support learning. It includes anything from a digital photograph to an elaborate combination of components that instructs and provides practice examples.David Wiley put forward a taxonomy for classifying learning objects and proposed an instructional design theory for their construction and application[5]. The individual components of learning that together lead to the desired learning outcome have characteristics that can be used to choose a possible learning pathway. Instructional design theory deals with the essential links between what is to be learned and how to select the most appropriate pathway for the learning.Wiley proposed three constituents of effective learning object implementation:an instructional design theorya learning object taxonomyprescriptive linking material.The latter defines the relationship between the instructional design theory and the taxonomy and by this means permits the selection of suitable learning objects. His pithy summary for this is, "for this type of learning goal, use this type of learning object". Wiley details these strategies in his dissertation on learning object design and sequencing theory (LODAS)[5].return to topLearning objects can be transportable and reusableThe perception that a learning object could be designed to be used in a number of contexts initiated the idea that it should also be made so that it is transportable. A device so built is termed a reusable learning object or RLO. Warren Longmire summarises the content of a reusable learning object[6]:In an environment in which context is scalable and adaptive, the ideal RLO content is:modular, free standing and transportable among applications and environmentsnonsequential able to satisfy a single learning objective accessible to broad audiencescoherent and unitary within a predetermined schema so that it is easy to catalogue the main idea or essence of the contentnot embedded within formatting so that it can be repurposed within a different visual schema without losing the essential value or meaning of its content.He describes the RLO as having two necessary factors, content and its metadata tag, the latter being a collection of information important to the cataloguing of the RLO for subsequent storage in a way that permits its ready identification and retrieval from a repository. Longmire also suggests the need to contextualise learning objects, for without context they can become "confusing, misleading, or utterly meaningless", and he proposes a series of strategies for doing this[6].return to topWhat is contained in the RLO?A good learning object is like a well-made brick. It has components, each providing a quality to the overall function, prepared according to defined standards so that their combination can fit an objective purpose within a defined context. If designed correctly it can be used in a related context without the need for alteration, hence the term reusable. While this ideal is important to the life and application of the RLO, the fashionable preference is that it can be repurposed or contextualised when used within diverse contexts.Cisco Systems used a schematic approach to describe the structure of the RLO, defining the reusable information object (RIO) as a component that has similar properties to the RLO[7]. The RIO consists of static, animated and interactive content including text, diagrams, pictures and videos as well as practice examples and assessment items. Each RIO is built so that it supports the objective of the RLO. Cisco's RLO has a structure that fits Longmire's summary.Cisco also developed a strategy for building and implementing the RLO - the primary learning approach is identified to determine what the RLO should contain and this prescription then serves as a plan for its design and construction. Suggested optimum componentry includes an overview, summary and assessment - between five and nine RIOs, though this range may vary widely in practice. A series of RLOs can be constructed according to a pedagogical strategy to form part of a course, or to build a compound RLO.return to topGranularityThe smallness of each component part, and the number of these incorporated into the whole, relates to what is called the granularity. Though the term is widely used in the context of RLO design and development, there appears to be no clear-cut definition for it. Collis and Strijker describe granularity as "just one of many issues related to learning objects that have different meanings and implications in different organisational contexts"[8].Granularity has administrative implications when considering matters related to the cost of production and also the data retrieval of each part. In relation to the size of the RLO, granularity has also pedagogical implications especially if it has insufficient componentry to be considered a suitable unit of learning. The RLO should be neither too large in comparison to the size of its components nor too small to perform the pedagogical function in meeting its learning objective.Simplicity of design applies as much to the construction of a good learning object as it does to folding a well-made paper dart; size and functionality need to be optimally balanced for the learning object to be on target.return to topMetadata, storage and retrievalFor a learning object to be stored and later retrieved easily, it must be catalogued or labelled using metadata, essentially data about information. Criteria for defining metadata and the number of related attributes within it vary according to the specification used. The label or tag, known as the metadata tag, contains digital information that identifies all the important properties of the learning object.When a learning object is selected from a repository its many parts are brought together according to the attributes chosen from its metadata tag. In this way the appearance of the object when displayed may be tailored within the limits of the metadata criteria and according to selected preferences on retrieval. Learning objects that form part of a programme of learning are stored in a repository or repositories accessible by a learning content management system (LCMS)[9] suitable for processing the learning object metadata (LOM)[10].For LOM to be useful it must adhere to an unambiguous specification of which there are many, including those defined or used by Dublin Core[11], SCORM (Shareable Content Object Reference Model)[12], The Le@rning Federation[13], MERLOT[3], CLOE (Co-operative Learning Object Exchange)[14] and IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers)[15]. The IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee has established a set of internationally accepted open standards for learning object metadata adopted by other organisations.return to topLearning objects should be practicalThe learning objective must be suitable for the application of a learning object, and for some purposes there are limitations no matter how well the learning objects are designed. The pursuit of such tools to meet associated learning objectives in these cases will very likely prove fruitless. For instance, it is clear that a learning object cannot be a substitute for a chat-room discussion. Nor would it be fitting to offer one as a replacement activity where the learner is required to collect data from a series of location cams, especially if the gathering process is important to the learning.The learning object employs a wide range of audio, video, animation and interactive technologies and is perfectly suited to e-learning. It is especially useful for introducing the learner to concepts difficult to present in text, static diagrams or pictures, or where it is difficult or dangerous for the learner to view a particular event such as the separation of chromosomes in the dividing nucleus of a living cell[16] or the Strombolian eruption of a volcano[17].When the learner is finished interacting with a learning object, what is important is not the impact of a clever animation or an impressively dynamic video, but the learning that's imparted, and the relevance of that to the circumstance of the learner. It must furnish the learning objective that was on its designer's notebook and it should be memorable for that alone.return to topImmediacy, interactivity, learning and engagementWiley recognised that interactivity is a vital attribute of an effective learning object as "engaging learners, making them active participants in the learning experience, is key to having them meet the learning objective". Interactivity brings immediacy to the learning through instant feedback and lights the spark[18], but its importance is frequently overlooked during the design phase of a learning object.Though it is rarely the province of a learning object to process learner activity or to perform summative assessment, the information that may result from these is what most teachers look for to establish if learning has taken place. Yet in potential learning situations the learner is often out on a limb wondering what, if anything, has been learned.Authors of early textbooks realised the worth of passive feedback in questions that had answers at the back of the book, alerting the learner to the need for further study when required. Recently, metacognition - thinking about thinking - in relation to the learner thinking about learning has become a fashionable teacher consideration[19].With respect to these matters the importance of immediate feedback to the learner on what has been learned and what needs to be learned cannot be underrated. And while it is true that opportunities for learner feedback and formative assessment do not ensure that learning happens, their presence allows the learner to evaluate learning progress and they can also stimulate engagement[20]; herein must reside one of the requisites of a well-designed learning object.return to topDesign, development and quality maintenanceLearning object development is no longer constrained by the dictates of those with expert technical knowledge and specialist ability. The steady arrival on the market of new authoring tools permits teachers with little technical know-how to design and create learning objects for themselves. But a most important role of the experienced teacher is in the selection and application of effective learning objects.It appears that these tasks, as well as those to do with building the resources, have fewer problems if careful thought is given at the design stages well before construction begins. Margaret Haughey and Bill Muirhead[21] found that "incorporating all accessibility features into all learning objects made the learning objects more complex to develop, more costly to create and in limited cases adversely affected the overall design of the learning object. An alternative was to develop separate purpose-built learning objects for learners with specific special needs."They put forward a case for developers addressing additional accessibility criteria on an object-by-object basis. Haughey and Muirhead also contend that the trend towards learner-oriented inquiry puts less emphasis on teacher pedagogical orientation and that this shift may favour a more learner-centred approach in the future use of learning objects.Leppisaari and Vainio[22] posited that "collegialism" among those engaged in learning object development is also valuable for maintaining the pedagogical quality of object content. This opinion is also held by MERLOT[3] where resources are peer-reviewed to ensure quality standards, and by CLOE where recognition is given to the special value of peer reviews in learning object development. CLOE suggests guidelines as well as a model for the peer review process[23].Rachel Smith offers a cornucopia of invaluable ideas, tips and advice in her comprehensive paper, Guidelines for Authors of Learning Objects[24]. She upholds the principle of learner choice, maintaining that "an object that presents content in an appealing setting, inviting learners to explore at will, is more interesting than a single-path, linear, 'click here to proceed' format. If the only choice is when to click the 'next' arrow, it is difficult for learners to feel ownership of the learning process."She gives sound planning suggestions for building cohesive, well-integrated learning objects:Offer multiple paths or branches for learners to explore. Allow learners to choose which path(s) to follow rather than forcing them down a particular path. Draw a conceptual map of the learning object showing relationships between ideas, content, or sections. As you create the object, make sure those connections are available as path choices.Smith suggests various avenues for presenting learning objects including "a single learning object to reinforce or provide practice for a topic; sometimes several conceptually related learning objects are provided to explore a topic from different angles or in greater depth. A common way to 'combine' learning objects is to provide an assignment that includes a list of links to the different objects and guidance as to the order in which they should be accessed. Learning objects may also be integrated into a course using a learning management system (LMS) to create and manage the links between objects."return to topChecking out the futureWhile the popularity of computer gaming continues to grow and interest deepens in the use of computer games as legitimate means for learning[25], new avenues open for the RLO to continue its development as an e-learning tool. There is no reason, for instance, why games can't be designed to meet all the desired attributes of RLOs.There is also scope for e-books to provide platforms where RLOs can exist as aptly as coloured pictures do in printed books, perhaps fulfilling some of Pithamber Polsani's hope for the development of the e-book to move "beyond the text-centric approach and concentrate on designing participatory environments"[26].Here the potential is rich for the RLO to establish its niche, illustrating pages of learning in interactive and engaging ways never to be found in traditional textbooks. Who knows? Games designed as learning objects may soon find their way onto portable play-stations, MP4 players and even mobile phones.return to topReferences1. http://www.futurelab.org.uk/resources/publications-reports-articles/web-articles/Web-Article9482. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-assisted_language_learning3. http://taste.merlot.org/4. http://itdl.org/Journal/Sep_04/article02.htm5. http://opencontent.org/docs/dissertation.pdf6. now not available - http://www.learningcircuits.org/2000/mar2000/Longmire.htm7. http://www.e-novalia.com/materiales/RLOW__07_03.pdf8. http://www-jime.open.ac.uk/2004/4/collis-2004-4.pdf9. now not available - http://www.learningcircuits.org/2002/apr2002/mortimer.html10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_object_metadata11. http://dcmi.kc.tsukuba.ac.jp/dcregistry/12. now not available - http://www.adlnet.gov/scorm13. http://www.thelearningfederation.edu.au/default.asp14. http://sedoparking.com/search/registrar.php?domain=on.ca&registrar=sedopark15. http://ieeeltsc.wordpress.com/16. http://www.cellsalive.com/mitosis.htm17. now not available - http://volcano.und.edu/vwdocs/kids/fun/volcano/volcano.html18. http://www.futurelab.org.uk/resources/publications-reports-articles/web-articles/Web-Article62119. http://www.futurelab.org.uk/resources/publications-reports-articles/web-articles/Web-Article52020. http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm21. http://www.usq.edu.au/electpub/e-jist/docs/vol8_no1/fullpapers/eval_learnobjects_school.htm22. http://www.caudit.edu.au/educauseaustralasia07/authors_papers/Leppisaari-Poster-405.pdf23. now not available - http://cloe.on.ca/peerreview.html24. http://www.nmc.org/publications/learning-object-guidelines25. http://acrlog.org/2007/06/06/serious-games/26. http://jodi.tamu.edu/Articles/v03/i04/Polsani/return to top

Informal learning happens in many ways. Brent Schlenker’s postIs There No Room For Informal Learning? highlights the variety and usefulness of avenues through conversation. Tony Karrer spoke of ‘conversation learning’ in an earlier post and developed this in his Conversation on Conversations.A recent discussion with Zoë Westhof on the problems that authors encounter when writing their thoughts made me consider how people might go about voicing their ideas during a face-to-face conversation.Ideas a priorityFor the author of a twitter line or a blog comment, the same conflict of prioritisation of ideas can occur than if it’s a company report that’s being drafted. The author may have several ideas waiting in the mind when the first phrase is unfurled in writing. During this time, a shuffling of ideas in the mind of the author may occur; some of those may dissolve while new ones emerge.These thoughts may not necessarily be ones that would make any sense to the reader if expressed consecutively. A good writer understands this conflict and goes about the editing process during thinking and on the written script at appropriate times throughout the writing process.Arena for spoken ideasBut speaking in conversation can be different than all of this. While the author may have to wrestle with an array of thoughts when writing, the conversationalist has also to accommodate the intervening audible ideas of others. In particular, the spoken conversation has the additional and sometimes limiting factor of time and the mandatory aspect of personality.Any spoken conversation is an arena for the participants' competing thoughts. The personality composition of any conversation is a major controller of the outcome of that exchange, whether it is between reunited friends in the corridor at a conference, a heated discussion between members in a board room, or an audio conference during a radio interview.Clearly, the personality make-up of any group discussion is a significant outcome-determining factor for that event. The time honoured book I’m OK You’re OK describes ranges of possible personality controlled situations that may occur during conversation.That capricious window of opportunity to voice an idea during a spoken conversation can often elude the conversationalist and leave the thought unsaid. An important idea may not be heard, let alone thought about by the other participants, and it remains for its owner to wait for another opportunity to put the idea. Similar circumstance may occur in a chat room environment but the window of opportunity is less capricious and is usually always there.Down to earth digitalFor the conversationalist who chooses to chat in a twitter exchange or on a wiki, or who opts for the more leisurely terrain of a blog post, less urgency exists to prioritise thoughts before voicing them. What may be lacking for some in that environment is the rush of adrenaline to push to be heard, to prioritise to a fine arrow-point the words and phrases that are to be voiced and to wait for the opportune moment to thrust the gist forward. The phrase, ‘making a point’ summarises this situation.For those like me who can summon that urgency at keyboard or txt-pad, the time to do the saying and the personalities of participants do not necessarily present barriers. What’s lacking is the opportunity to speak directly and with style to the faces of chosen conversationalists.related post - >> ( 1 )

Do have a virtual slice of my blog’s birthday cake.One year has passed since I made the decision to attempt a spot of blogging. It has been colourful and worthwhile. So has the learning, which is great, for learning is still my goal. I have Michele Martin to thank for all this for it is she who enticed me into taking part in the Comment Challenge in May 2008.During this past year I published 193 posts on newMiddle-earth Blogspot. According to Google Analytics, people from 73 countries visited Middle-earth in the last month - a total of 1352 visitors. The most visits came from USA (529) followed by New Zealand (342) of which 325 came from Greater Wellington. The actual numbers shown here indicate relative estimated ratios rather than actual visits, since I didn’t collect data on RSS use.I have 10 loyal followers from countries throughout the world.I got a lot of help, and by different means, from many of the visitors to Middle-earth. ‘Visitors’ means YOU!I take this opportunity to thank you for following this blog and for your support.What have I learnt?It is difficult to say, even at this stage, precisely what has been the most useful thing learnt. A lot of that learning has been about me, and I don’t mean that in a navel-gazing way. Nevertheless, there are observations that I feel are notable and I’ll list those here.Google Analytics and PostRankI was introduced to Google Analytics (GA) and later to PostRank (PR) and found that, as expected, data gathered from GA on the popularity of posts correlates well with ratings gathered from PR. While there are differences, these two data gatherers complement each other. I learnt that the popularity profile of a post created a tail over time and that the fatness and length of that tail bore some relation to the ongoing interest that visitors had for the content of the post.Blog personaI came across the Web2.0 application Typealyzer and learnt that posts I’d written had the persona of a thinker. There was a lot of discussion throughout the blogosphere on the worth of Typealyzer.I found that most who knew about it misunderstood what it was reporting. I learnt they held the erroneous belief that Typealyzer was analysing their personality type rather than the persona of what they wrote and posted on their blog.Telling a storyI learnt the merit of telling stories in posts and found that among the most popular posts were those that tell stories for they had the longest and fattest tail in their popularity profile. Posts that do this invariably reach a high rating on GA and PR often within a few days.The example post Blogging, When A Thing Is Worth Doing Badly, which has held its PR rating since January 2009, shows this trend.Reading EaseI was introduced to the concept that writing can have a quality known as reading ease according to the Flesch scale. So I researched the use of Flesch Reading Ease in Word. I later analysed the writing of other bloggers who, incidentally had favourably high Flesch ratings and prodigiously popular blog sites.90:9:1 rule and so-called communityThe rather contentious 90:9:1 rule seems to be obeyed quite well on newMiddle-earth Blogspot. From a total of 1352 visitors in the past month, a count of 13 visitors submitting 25 comments closely follows the order expected from the 90:9:1 rule. Other similar periods examined using GA yield comparable ratios.While this may seem trivia to some, for me it represents confirmation of the difficulty involved in soliciting participation in so-called communities, notably those that are referred to as learning communities. Anyone who has followed my posts on themes to do with communities will perhaps understand that it is not by coincidence that this theme is threaded through my posts from the first month I began blogging.Who are the commenters?A significant observation about my commentsphere is that, almost without exception, commenters are also bloggers. The supposition is that people who do not have their own blogs will visit and read rather than participate in discussion. However, it’s also improbable that all visitors who do not leave a comment are not themselves bloggers.Post topic and contentI found that posts about my commentsphere and the people that are likely to contribute to it, also reached predictable high ratings. This was one of the first observations I made when I set up GA on my blog. I can predict with an unerring accuracy that a post about the commentsphere will soar in its ratings.Elearning - an exceptional topicI was delighted to find that posts specifically about elearning, carry substantially high ratings in both GA and PR. A giant among those is The Elearning Apprentice, posted in October 2008, which has a fat tail that pulls a rating matching that of recent also-rans.Another extraordinary post in terms of its popularity characteristics is Working With Online Learning Communities, which has such an amazingly even visitor rating from day to day, it has not varied significantly since the tail first took shape.Highly complexAs absorbing as all this gathered data is to me, I am still quite unable to make logical sense of the characteristics of ‘my part’ of the blogosphere. I suspect that it is highly complex and likely to be even more so because of the varied nature of the post topics that I choose to write about. I concede that my range of topics is eclectic enough to cause me a considerable headache if I try to make too much sense of some ratings.Why am I interested in ratings?My original intention was to study communities in the blogosphere with the purpose of understanding more about what engages learners. I’ve never lost interest in that study. I’d always hoped that post ratings in GA, PR or other such analytical data gathering tool would provide me with avenues for studying community engagement. They do provide some of these, but the data is far more complex than I first envisaged.The more I observe and learn about community engagement, the more absorbed I become in it. Communities and their complexity are fascinating things.An exceptional opportunityWhat I find is fascinating about my commentsphere is the huge variety of personalities and the backgrounds of the people who I regularly commune with, either through their comment on my blog or on their own blog. They range from colleagues who, like me are interested in sharing ideas on teaching and learning to business managers, from academics working at faculty in universities to CEOs of companies, from consultants in elearning to school principals.Within those groups of wonderful people are blog-colleagues who I first met in the blogosphere when on the Comment Challenge in May last year. Among them:Andrea Hernandez, who has been supportive of me blogging from day one - I wrote a post, about one of her goals for the year which she has adhered to,Bonnie Kaplan, who reminded me most recently in a comment of the fun we had during the Comment Challenge,Sue Waters, who sent me a series of emails recently while we collaborated to track down a virus and who was one of the Comment Challenge organisers,Tony Karrer, who invited me to join the eLearning Learning community to which I now regularly contribute,Virginia Yonkers, who is one of my most frequent commenters and a great blogging companion,Kevin Hodgson, who emailed me yesterday to ask if I’d mind hosting a Day In A Sentence on my blog again. It’s an opportunity not to be missed. It’s all about people.